


Pleasure Doing Business

by hexicity



Category: Shadowhunters
Genre: Business Negotiations, Canon Compliant, M/M, Malec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:13:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8912170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hexicity/pseuds/hexicity
Summary: Under any other circumstance this would be infuriating and annoying. But when it was Magnus, who grinned during the entire negotiation and ran his fingers over Alec's hand and wrist, somehow Alec didn't seem to mind. //for a tumblr prompt about Alec and Magnus sorting out a Clave business deal in the early stages of their relationship





	

Alec usually didn't do these jobs alone. Usually he had Jace on his left and Isabelle on his right, always filling uncertain situations with security and lots of sarcasm. Without them, he felt like he wasn't really a Shadowhunter. Just some guy barging into a bar and acting like an asshole. 

But Jace was still recovering from everything with Valentine. He was making improvements day by day, but he wasn't ready to be back in the field yet. Isabelle was dutifully by his side through the whole thing and she'd won the coin flip to decide who would get to stay with Jace and who would have to take care of the trivial issue that the Clave was throwing a fit about. 

Alec had briefly considered taking Clary, but then he realized that Clary would probably make the simple mission into a week long endeavor. The Clave was asking Alec to be admittedly a bit unfair, and while he could understand that it was his job and he had to comply no matter what his personal beliefs were, Clary probably would not see it that way.

So he was alone. And Magnus hadn't texted back all morning.

He entered the Hunter's Moon, checking again to make sure his sleeves were unrolled and covering his runes. Downworlders didn't like Shadowhunters showing off too many runes. 

He moved toward the bar where a girl was drying glasses with a vacant look on her face. She looked up, unimpressed, and gestured toward the bar stools with a jerk of her head. 

"You'll have to wait if you want to talk to Carlos." She told him. "He's with an important person right now." 

Alec raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I'm here to get a drink?"

"A Shadowhunter buying a drink at a Downworlder bar in the middle of the day." She scoffed. "I thought I'd seen it all." 

Alec sighed and dropped to the stool. Jace was much better at handling people, knowing what to say and how to say it. Alec usually stood in the back and looked for escape routes. 

Ten minutes turned into twenty and twenty into thirty before Alec finally stood up again. "This is time sensitive." 

It wasn't time sensitive, really. He just wanted to get back to Jace. 

"Well maybe you should come back when he isn't busy." The girl responded without looking up. "I'm sure you can occupy yourself by doing some more Clave chores." 

"Alright, fuck it." Alec muttered, heading toward the swinging door beside the bar. She didn't even try to stop him, just muttered something about this being above her pay. 

He opened the door without bothering to knock and stopped short at the threshold to the room when he saw who the important person was. 

"Alec!" Magnus cheered when he turned in his seat to see his boyfriend. "What are you doing here? Do you want a cocktail?" 

"Uh," Alec said eloquently as he forced himself to tear his eyes from Magnus and look at the man who was lounged in an office chair, "I have orders from the Clave to negotiate with Carlos Valdez."

"Yikes." Carlos exchanged a look with Magnus. "I think that would be me." 

"It's definitely not me." Magnus agreed. He winked at Alec and gestured toward the empty chair beside him. "I have no problem with sharing our appointment time with a busy Shadowhunter." 

Alec dropped into the chair and gave Magnus a small, tiny smile that was intended for him and only him. Carlos watched with raised eyebrows. 

"So what did I do this time to incur the Clave's wrath?" Carlos asked, grinning easily. Alec was supposed to be strictly professional and a bit cold, but this guy seemed nice enough and Magnus was watching, so Alec relaxed a bit. 

"You've been purchasing a lot of expensive potions and ingredients through the Downworlder markets." Alec explained. "The Clave just wants you to provide cause for why you need them. And receipts, so they can make sure everything has been legally purchased." 

Carlos listened to the whole speech with his chin propped on his fist, and silently he shifted his gaze from Alec to Magnus. Alec glanced over and saw that Magnus was avoiding eye contact, suddenly very interested in swirling his drink. 

Alec was clearly missing something, and he wasn't nearly as intuitive as Isabelle or Jace, so he was going to have to settle. 

"What?" He prodded. 

"Here's the thing," Magnus took Alec's hand in his. Alec shifted in his seat. "Carlos here is a very loyal client of mine. And in exchange for guaranteed healing of his pack, he pays me in ingredients that I'm not able to acquire myself."

"So the potions are for you?" Alec concluded. "Okay. Well, that's fine. As long as you can come up with the receipts and reasons, the Clave won't care." 

Magnus squeezed his hand. "No one keeps track of receipts, Alec." 

"No one." Carlos reiterated. Alec glared. 

"The Clave is going to get very suspicious if you can't tell them who you bought all these mysteriously rare and possibly dangerous potions from." Alec insisted. 

"Well maybe," Magnus said slowly, "the Clave would recall how I played an integral part in defeating Valentine and would settle for about twenty percent of the receipts."

Alec squinted. Under any other circumstance this would be infuriating and annoying. But when it was Magnus, who grinned during the entire negotiation and ran his fingers over Alec's hand and wrist, somehow Alec didn't seem to mind. 

"Seventy-five." Alec fired back.

"Half." Magnus challenged. He smirked at Alec, his eyes flashing with defiance. Alec took a deep breath. This was the kind of thing that Jace would do, break Clave orders and make a compromise. But at the same time, Jace always got away with it. And Magnus' smile was making Alec's pulse worryingly erratic. 

"Deal." 

Magnus beamed. Alec held out a hand to shake, which Magnus took and used to tug Alec forward so their lips could meet. They pulled away after a second and Alec laughed breathlessly. 

"Nice doing business with you." 

Carlos leaned back in his chair, his eyes shifting between Alec and Magnus. "Is that how Shadowhunters seal their deals now?"

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write because I love the back and forth that Magnus and Alec have and the fact that Magnus would shamelessly flirt in a professional setting. Thanks for reading!
> 
> You can leave me a prompt or just chat with me on Tumblr @simonlewhiss


End file.
